Conveyer press



1927' J. c. LEDBETTER .CONVEYER PRESS Filed Aug. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet,1

MNH.

INVENTOR James C l edbeifer' A BY p 7 I W ATTORNEYS q lemma 119 L927 J.c. LEDBETTER CONVEYER PRESS Filed Aug. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 if 4 EINVENTOR James Zedb a Patented Oct, 11, 1927.

NIED s ray JAMESqC. LEDBETTER, 0F BRQOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENIS, TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY, INC., OE SYRACUSE, NEW YGRK, ACOR PORATIOIQ 9F NEW YGRK.

converse runes.

Application filed August 5, 1925.. Serial No. 730,132.

This invention relates to garment finishing machinery and in particularto conveyor presses.

An object is to produce improvements i respect'to pressing machinery andgarment handling means whereby the work is rapidly placed within thepress and removed therefrom. To this end my invention is so constitutedthat a single press operator may work at a place removed from thevicinity of the press jaws thereby rendering personal accidentsimpossible; and the garment is spread out upon a conveyer or traysurface where visibility of the work i.s exceptionally'good and thoperator is not hampered by having to spread the garment across and intothe hot press jaws.

Furthermore my improvements increase the working eliiciency oi pressingmachines as regards the quantity/of production, in that the quantity ofwort: turned out is somewhat increased because the operator does notlosetime between pressing operations for the reason that while one garmentor set of arments is being treated in the press or eating zone, theoperator is engaged in removing the completed work and spreading out newworn on the conveyor and making ready for the next pressing operation.The operator uses all his time working" at this machine and not part ofthe time as in old style presses now in use.

For the purpose of illustrating myinven tion, the accompanying drawingsshow twopart or multi-unit work tray conveyor but other forms, such as asingle conveyer, or even three or more tray conveyers, may beincorporated into the pressingmachine; and a feature of the invention isroll in and roll out multiple tray which crosses one over the other inapproaching and leaving the press. My conveyor improvements constitute alarge saving in floor space because, regardless of the size oi conveyortray, apron or other means for holding the work or garment, the spaceset aside on the machine for the conveyer is substantially equal to thearea of the conveyor tray only while in fact the conveyeris doublecapacity in that two trays are provided.

While garment forms, trays, conveyors and the like, have been suggestedfor use in connection with pressing machines they have occupied too muchspace because the floor area covered by the machine and frame usuallyequalled substantia-lly three times that of the tray and form employedwhich was due to the fact that as one form, tray or conveyer moved intothe press from one side, the other tray bearing the finished goods wasejected from the press on the other side which is to say that a floorarea equal to that of each work holder was set aside on each side of thepress, with the press in the center thereby covering a floor area aboutthree times that of the press. I employ a back and forth conveyor, theunits of which pass each other, one over the other, going in oppositedirections, and which are moved in and out of the press from one side ofthe machine only, and therefore one floor unit area is saved because thetreated work returns to the same side ofthe press as it' started "from.t

The accompanyin drawings illustrate one form of the improved conveyorpress which is adapted tor-use in connection with any suitable form ofpressing machine.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the double tray conveyor mounted on aconventional pressing machine.

Figure shows a sectional view taken on the line 2'2 of Figure l with thepressing machine head removed to produce an un-' obstructed plan view ofthe two trays with the cable supporting and traveling means therefor.

it has been suggested to construct a conveyer press embodying aplurality of working trays adapted to roll in and out, one above theother, of the heating zone or pressing jaws whereby one tray with itswork is being pressed while the other tray is having its work removedand additional work replaced thereon for the next pressing operation,and said trays have ordinarily been supported on tracks. The presentimprovements, however, have, to do with the'elimination oi the tracks,the reduction of the number of parts employed in the conveyerconstruction with resulting simplification and lowering of manufacturingcost.

A description will first be given of the conveyer itself and thereafterreference will be made to a typical press with which the conveyer isadapted to be used.

Llll

A pair of main cable supporting rollers second pair of rollers 7 aremounted on a shaft 8. The shafts 6 and 8 are spaced apart and carrycables 9 in pairs, and carry cables 12 in pairs, passed over andtraveling upon the rollers 5 and 7. Secondary guide rollers 10 areplaced closely to the mairi rollers 5 and 7 for the purpose of bringingthe upper and lower cables 9 and 12 into closely spaced parallel 0positely traveling relation in order that re atively little clearanceexists between the two cables 9 and 12. This closely spaced cablerelation is acquired by disposing the main rollers 5 and 7 slightlyabove the secondary rollers 10, or by any similar or equivalentarrangement in the rollers whereby the said cable portions or sections 9and 12 are made to pass in oppositely traveling relation and at the sametime be moved rather closely together. However, it is to be noted thatthe rollers 5 and 7 may be reduced to such size that the diameterthereof is equal to the clearance s ace between the two cable portions,but t is is not always practical because the rollers must be largeenough not to distort or strain the cross section of cable as it passesthereover.

A tray frame is inserted in the upper cable section 9 by attaching oneedge of the tray to the ends of the pair of cables 9 and by attachingthe other side of this tray 15 to one end of the pairs of cables 12.Likewise, another tray frame 13 is inserted within the lower cablesection 12 by attaching the end of cables 9 and the end of cables 12 tothe opposite edges of the frame 13. the trays are suspended by thecables one above or alongside the other and therefore tracks and carwheels are not needed to support the trays. A cloth tray piece 11 isstretched inside the respective tray frames and is held in taut relationby lacings 14- which hold the canvas trays 11 tightly within the frames13 and 15. The tray center structure 11 may as well be fine copper gauzeto permit heat, steam and air to flow therethrough and through the workif desired; or the tray center 11 may also be formed of metal sheets.

While it is noted that the trays 13 and 15 are held in spaced relationand therefore. do not travel in the same plane, it is to he understoodthat both trays should preferably be capable of moving into the sameplane during the pressing operation or heat treating period to which thework on the respective trays is subjected. To this end springs 16 areinterposed between the upper tray 15 and respective cable ends 9 and 12.Thus the four springs 16 in effect comprises aportion of the cable linkin that the springs 16 sup ort the weight of the tray 15 and the worthereon. The springs 16 are sulli- Thus shafts in positionon the press.

ea-aces ciently strong to cause both pairs of cable sections 9 and 12 tostand out in perfect alignment without undue tendency to sag. However,the springs 16 stretch enough to permit the tra wardly into alignmentwith the lower cable 12 and tray 13.

The double tray conveyer construction as aforesaid is effectivelycombined with a pressing machine of any suitable type. For exam lo, apressing ma -hinehaving a buck 20 an head 21 is carried on a frame 22.An understanding of how the roll in and out double tray conveyor is usedin connection with the pressing machine is understood by reference tothe fragmentary portion of a pressshown in the two views. The press head21 is shown in uplifted position, and the cables 9 and 12 are arrangedto run' alongside the margin of the press head and buck just outsidethereof so as not to be within the path of the closing press jaws. Thetray frames 13 and 15 are preferably somewhat larger than the pressingjaws which comparative size causes the tray frames to extend around themargin of the press jaws without coming in contact therewith and thusthe cloth tray or gauze center piece 11 of each tray spreads across thesurface of the buck 20. When the head 21 moves downwardly on the tray,the meeting press jaws 20 and 21 do not come in contact with any portionof the tray other than the cloth center together with the work orgarments carried on the said cloth center tray pieces 11 and so ressure,heat treatment, air treatment, sterilization, baking,. airing, takeplace between the hot jaws.

Brackets 23 serve to mount the rollers and One set of rollers are placedadjacent the press jaws or treating machine while the other set isspaced therefrom. Y

In operation, work such as a garment is spread upon the tray 15 which ismoved inwardly to a position coextensive with the mainpress jawswhereuponthe press head 21 moves downwardly engaging the work and tray15. The springs 16 readily stretch under the movement of the head 21which permits the tray 15 together with the work thereon to movedownwardly against the buck 20 in alignment with the tray 13 which hasof course by this time moved outwardly the same distance as the tray 15has traveled mwardly. In other "words, the trays evchanszc positionmerely by moving one tray which is to say that the tray 15 is manually15 to press or move downetc,

ltlll ,creases the utility of the press forthe reacarryin son that theoperator does not lose time as he ordinarily would do if he had to waitfor the iwork to be treated before he could arrange additional work forpressing.

lVhile one tray is being pressed, the opera-' tor is removing andreplacing new work on the external tray.

Furthermore, in garment pressing and ironing equipment of thischaracter, the

head 21 is not required to lift so high as is ordinarily the case withnow on the market.

ressing machines armentpress or ironing presses now generally in userequire wide opening'jaw movement to permit the work to be stretchedupon the buck, but with this improvement in conveyer presses, the work'is spread out upon a visible tray located somewhat distantly from thepressing machine. Furthermore, the operator not being required to smooththe work out upon the buck 20, is saved the danger accident to workingbetween the open press jaws, and therefore the machine is more safe tooperate as well as having increased production over pressing machinesnow in use. The operators health is not menaced by having to work inclose vicinity of the hot press jaws and he is removed from thedisagreeable ironing odors aising from high temperature high speedironing machine. i hat 1 claim is 1. A machine comprising incombination,

a work treating zone into which an article is conveyed for treatment, aflexible traveling member, rollers over which the member-travels, asecondary set of rollers over which the member travels and by which aportion of the traveling member is spaced from the remaining portion, awork carrying device attached to and suported on each spaced portionofthe traveling member and moving one over and past the other to and fromthe zone.

2. A machine comprising in combination, a work treating zone into whichannrticle is conveyed for treatment, a flexible traveling member,rollers over which the member travels, a secondary set of rollers overwhich the member travels and. by which a portion of the travelingmemberis spaced from the remaining portion, a work carrying device attached toand su ported on each spaced portion of the trave ing member and movingone over; and past the other to and from the zone, and means permittingone of the work devices to move perpen icular to' the line of travel ofthe flexible member whereby the spaced work carrying devices arepermitted to move into the same plane.

3.- A machine comprising in combination, a Work treating zone into whichan article odily in a planeis conveyed or treatment, a flexibletraveling member, rollers over which the member travels, a secondary setof rollers over which the member travels and by which a portion of thetraveling member is spaced from the remaining portion, a work carryingdevice attached to and supported on each spaced portion of the travelingmember and moving.

one over and past the other to and from the zone, and a spring includedin the flexible member which permits the spaced work carrying devicestomove into the same plane for treatment in the "zone.

4. A conveyer press comprising in combination cooperating press jawsbetween which the work is treated, a cable running alongside the marginof the jaws and spacedtherefrom, a work tray mounted on the cable andmoving in and out of the jaws, said tray comprising a flat plane thinsupporting surface on which the work is placed and adapted to spreadacross the jaw area of the press when moved into the jaws.

i I 5. A conveyer press comprising in combination cooperating aress jawsbetween which the work is treatec, a cable running along side the marginof the jaws and. spaced therefrom, a work tray mounted on the cable andmoving in and out of the jaws, said tray comprising a fiatplane thinsupporting surface on which the work is placed and adapted to spreadacross the jaw area of the press when moved into the jaws, another cablerunning parallel to the first cable, and another work tray mounted onsaid last named cable. I

6. A. conveyer press comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws,a plurality of parallel sets of cables running past the press jaws, awork tray mounted on each parallel set of cables thereby holding eachtray in parallel spaced planes, and means supporting the cables in tautcondition thereby holding the trays in straight line travel to and tromthe press.

7. A conveyer press comprising in com bination, cooperating press jaws,a plurality of parallel sets of cables running past the press jaws, awork tray mounted on each parallel set of cables thereby holding eachtray in parallel spaced planes, means supporting the cables in tautcondition thereby holding the trays in straight line travel to and fromthe press, and means included in each parallel cable permitting thestretching thereof without harming the cable whereby the trays areforced into the plane of the pressing jaws.

8. A. conveyer press comprising in combination, cooperating press aws, aplurality of parallel sets of'cables running past the press jaws, a worktray mounted on each parallel set of cables thereby holding each tray inparallel spaced planes, means supporting the cables in taut conditionthereby holding the trays in straight line travel to and from the press,and a. spring included in each cable by which the cable is stretched topermit the press jaws to move the trays out of their normal line oftravel into the pressing plane.

9. A conveyer press comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws, aplurality of parallel sets of cables running past the press jaws, a worktray mounted on each parallel set of cables thereby holding each tray inparallel spaced planes, means supporting the cables in taut conditionthereby holding the trays in straight line travel to and from the press,said cables being connected together thereby causing said parallelcables with their respective trays to travel in opposite direction withthe trays crossing over each other, and guide means causing saidoppositely traveling cables to run in substantially close s acedrelation.

10. conveyer press comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws inwhich the work is treated, a main set oi rollers, a pair of cablesrunning tliereover pastthe press jaws which provides closely spacedparallel oppositely traveling cable sections, a work tray mounted oneach cable section and similarly traveling simultaneously in oppositedirections to and from the press jaws.

11. it conveyer press comprising in combination, cooperating press jawsin which the Work is treated, a main set of rollers, a pair of cablesrunning thereover past the press jaws which provides closely spacedparallel oppositely traveling cable sections, a work tray mounted oneach cable section and similarly traveling simultaneously in oppositedirections to and from the press jaws, one of the work trays moving intothe pressing plane but the other tray being spaced therefrom, and meanscooperating with the spaced tray permitting the press 'i'rom theopposite side of the masses carried by the cables and having a greaterperimeter than that of the press jaws which enables the tray frame tolie outside the jaw margin, and a work support piece stretched withinand attached to the frame and spreading across the jaw surfaces.

13. A conveyer press comprising in combination, press jaws, main cablesupport rollers disposed adjacent one side the press jaws, another setof similar rollers spaced ress jaws, a cable passed over each set 01'rollers and running alongside the jaws, secondary rollerscooperating'with the main rollers and acting to form the cables intoclosely spaced oppositely traveling sections, a work tray carried by onecable section, a work tray carried by the other cable section, saidtrays guided one over the other in closely spaced relation, and themovement of one tray being adapted to move the other tray in oppositedirection.

14:. A conveyer press as set forth in claim 13, characterized by thefact that the work trays are placed in series with the cables by cuttingthe cables and inserting the work trays.

15. A conveyer press as set forth in claim 13, characterized by the factthat the work trays are placed in series Withthe cables b cutting thecables and inserting the wor trays, and springs inserted between thetrays and cable and adapted to stretch when the jaws move the trays intothe pressing plane.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. 7

JAMES C. LEDBETTER.

